Good Ol' CB and the TH3RD Dimension
by Goodman Brown
Summary: Charlie Brown's fantastic day couldn't last, that much he knew. But when he and Linus take a ride on Snoopy's Sopwith Camel, they discover a truth that forever changes their two-dimensional lives.


_Charlie Brown's good day was about to change for the worse. I don't own Peanuts or any of the characters mentioned in this chapter, but the idea for this fanfic is distinctly mine._

**Good Ol' C.B. and the TH3RD Dimension**

Charlie Brown was having an incredible day. He had awakened that morning with a strange sense of confidence, completely unfamiliar to him. Up, he had sprang into the day, attending to his appearance, getting breakfast for his parents, and doctoring his beagle, Snoopy, who seemed to have awakened feeling just the opposite of his usual self. And yet, Charlie Brown had taken care of his pooch with all the confidence that any full fledged veterinarian would have displayed.

At school that day, Charlie raised his hand in class a lot. He had all the right answers, and when called upon he was able to speak with clarity and brilliance. He hadn't a clue of what had happened to him in the night—but, being superstitious—he was not about to go analyzing it. That might prove to be a mistake. And Charlie Brown could make no mistakes on this one most perfect of days.

On the playground at recess, Charlie Brown spontaneously organized a baseball game, declaring himself as a team captain. And for some odd reason the other children did not quarrel, going along with whatever he said. Even Lucy Van Pelt issued no challenges. The game went well, better than any he had ever had. He struck out the first three batters, and then it was his team's turn at bat.

Shroeder, the catcher, batted first. He nearly made a double, and though the other kids were cheering him to go for it, the piano virtuoso stayed on first base at Charlie Brown's signal. Now, with recess nearly over, all eyes were on the team captain as he calmly stepped to the plate and tapped it with his bat. On a day like today, he could feel it, nothing could go wrong.

In came the ball, and CRACK! Charlie Brown nearly tore its cover off. The ball flew up and out of the field, high over the fence. From below, twenty children's faces simultaneously turned upward to watch it go, but then their eyes noticed something else.

The sky had been changing in color while they played. Of course, it had been a perfect blue when recess had begun, but now it was silently transforming into a tapestry of hues. Great sheets of grey with slashes of neon greens and argon reds danced mysteriously toward them, closing on one another in the sky like a great curtain about to swing down upon the stage below.

Charlie Brown did not see. He was having too much fun, rounding bases and shouting at the heels of Shroeder. It was not until they were both safely across home plate that he noticed the other children, some pointing into the sky. The recess bell sounded, ending the game, just as Charlie looked up and saw the anomaly for himself.

Suddenly, Linus Van Pelt was at his side while other children swirled around them toward the school. Linus spoke. "My teacher was talking this morning about the possibility of some strange weather patterns this week," he said, "...supposedly caused by a combination of the alignment of certain planets and that meteor shower we watched all summer."

_Ah yes_, thought Charlie Brown, _the shooting stars_. But…could this also have to do with the way he had been feeling today? It was possible, but there was one way to be sure.

Charlie grabbed Linus' shirt and yelled into his face, just as the rain began to fall. "We've got to go to my house." he shouted. "We have to check on Snoopy!"

"But Charlie Brown!" cried Linus, surprised at the other boy's outburst. "You would never suggest leaving school without going through the proper authorities."

The round-headed kid looked back at his friend. There was no time to waste explaining this to Linus. Either the younger boy was with him or Charlie Brown would have to do this on his own. He took a deep breath, and shouted as though his words carried all the weight of Uncle Sam himself. "Today is different! Come on, Linus!"

Linus hesitated only a moment longer, watching Charlie Brown begin to run across the playground toward home. When a clap of thunder sounded above him, he too sprang into action and followed at a sprint to catch up.

It was raining hard by the time they reached Charlie Brown's house. In the back yard, Snoopy sat upon his dog house wearing his little WWI flying Ace outfit with the helmet and goggles. His little silk scarf flapped in the wind. Rain pelted the canine but he seemed not to care. Charlie and Linus looked at each other.

"Looks like he's feeling better," shouted Charlie. "When I left him this morning he was lying inside the doghouse, sick as a dog."

Linus didn't understand. "Why did we have to check on him? What does this mean?"

Charlie Brown shrugged and the two of them began walking toward Snoopy's doghouse. Charlie didn't really know himself why he had thought it was important to come here all of a sudden. It had just seemed to be the thing to do, kind of like everything else that had been happening to him today. But as they approached the doghouse they both realized something in the atmosphere was about to change again.

Snoopy was lost in his fantasy, tracking down the Red Baron. His little forepaws were outstretched as though he held the invisible yoke of his sopwith camel biplane. Charlie Brown and Linus walked up and stood next to the doghouse and just watched him in admiration.

Just about the time the beagle looked over and saw them standing there in the clouds off his right wing, suddenly a beam of light broke through the clouds above them and spread from the center of the doghouse outward until it encompassed an area large enough to include Charlie Brown and Linus as well. The three looked up in astonishment as the world around the circle of light began to quiver and shake with a violence none of them had expected.

Charlie and Linus looked desperately at each other for only a moment and then both of them dove onto the doghouse behind Snoopy. No sooner had they gotten situated than they were being drawn out of their world. The back yard blurred away until all that was visible was the doghouse, Snoopy, Charlie Brown and Linus. They were flying!

Up, up, up!

"Whattt is happppening, Charlie Browwwwn!" shouted Linus as the wonderful vibration of liftoff shook his voice.

"We're ggggoing somewwwwhere," said the round headed kid over his shoulder.

"byehhh, buhhhh, wahhhwaarrra?" howled Snoopy.

And the three of them shot like an arrow through the darkness, reminding Linus of the path that Charlie Brown's baseball had taken earlier.


End file.
